Lock 3 Vision Plan

Transforming Lock 3 Park

The Lock 3 Vision Plan is a key component of the resident-led Akron Civic Commons 2.0 project that plans to build on the success of Lock 3 Park as a successful event, concert and festival public space and develop a year-round park that is a destination for residents, guests, hikers, and bicyclists along the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail.

“This 365-day park will become more than a space that is used for festivals and concerts on the weekend. It will become a destination for residents and visitors alike to gather, to relax, to spend time, and to experience downtown Akron. More importantly, today, we honor our commitment to the residents of downtown Akron and to the co-creation, co-design and co-stewarding of outstanding parks, trails and open spaces and places neighborhood residents at the center of our work,” said Dan Rice, President and CEO of the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition.

The $17.5 million reimagined Lock 3 Park opened to the public on November 29, 2024 and features resident feedback, including shaded seating, landscaped gardens, artwork, skating areas, and a world-class performance pavilion named in honor of community leader, Phil Maynard. Located in the center of Akron, and along the 101-mile Ohio & Erie Canalway and Towpath Trail, Lock 3 is a premier park that is accessible, equitable and welcoming for residents and visitors. 

The City of Akron designated $3.5 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding towards the implementation of the Lock 3 Vision Plan, and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation committed $5.5 million. “Locks 2, 3 and 4 are Akron’s Central Park and have been a priority for Reimaging the Civic Commons in Akron since 2017,” said Kyle Kutuchief, Knight Foundation Program Director in Akron.  “We at Knight believe the transformation of Lock 3 Park will strengthen it as a special event venue and an everyday park to connect people of all backgrounds, cultivate trust and create a more resilient and engaged Akron.”

The Lock 3 Park Project was supported by funding from the City of Akron, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Summit County Government, Department of Housing and Urban Development (U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown), Ohio & Erie Canalway, Akron Children’s Hospital, Maynard Family Foundation, FirstEnergy Foundation, GAR Foundation, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Cleveland Clinic Akron General, Thomarios, Kenmore Construction, Akron Community Foundation and individual donors.